The Marion High School cross country team will be expanding soon, thanks to the emergence of the Marion Middle School team.

MMS and MHS head coach Bethany Carlson is loving the progress she is seeing from her eight runners.

The team, made up of all eighth graders, consists of Elizabeth Goentzel, Jenevieve Corona, Clark Kroupa, Austin Pedersen, Jacob Cope, Aaron Molleker, James Svoboda, and Nicholas Davies.

Carlson said the support from the high school team is helping the middle schoolers get better.

“It’s exciting to see what a high school athlete cheering for a middle school athlete does for the middle school runner’s confidence,” she said.

The team will run in just four meets during the season, but will practice as long as the varsity season runs.

Carlson is excited for the season.

“We have a great group of middle school runners,” she said.